kahhhh

So I've learned a few things since I last posted.  Namely, that I have been using what I THOUGHT was laundry detergent but what is ACTUALLY fabric softener to wash my clothes for the last few months.  A cryptic distinction seeing as I don't read Thai beyond the word "chicken" and the visual aids on both packages are a woman's hands. 

Another nugget of knowledge acquired over the last 48 hours: my students do not understand the word "subscription," even though we spent roughly the last 7 weeks doing nothing but reviewing the word, "subscription."  The midterms don't lie.  

Pearl of wisdom number 3, the Ajarn I share a cubicle with (I love her) does not know her verb tenses.  She stormed into the cubicle muttering, "I killed her kah. I killed her kah" over and over while I frantically racked my brain for who she could have killed.  It took intense verbal prodding to discover the true meaning of her words: "I could have killed her (kah)."  

In Thai there are two words which work as polite endings to sentences.  Women say, "kah" and men say, "krop."  As in "Sawadee kah," aka hello.  The "kah" and "krop" weasel their way in to Thai people speaking English as well.  My morning has not officially begun until the Ajarn next to me (different Ajarn) coos "good morning kaahhhhhh" at a pitch almost too high for the human ear.  I receive e-mails that say things like, "Thank you kah" and my students routinely come up to me and say, "Exam so hard kahhhhh." I love the "kah" it is much better than the "krop."  Jason says that the privilege of saying "kah" might be reason enough to become a lady boy.  Kah.  

I killed her. kah.